The Sweet Way of Wagashi

Updated Feb. 19, 2013 8:12 p.m. ET

ANYONE WHO HAS experienced chanoyu, the way of tea, can attest to its transporting effect. "The ceremony is a slow, exquisite art in itself," writes Jane Lawson in her new book on Japanese cuisine, "Zenbu Zen: Finding Food, Culture & Balance In Kyoto" (Murdoch Books). At a formal tea gathering (chaji), you enjoy two types of green matcha—first koicha, a thick tea with a creamy consistency; then usucha, a tea often whisked until frothy. But before partaking of the deep-green elixirs, guests are offered tea sweets known as wagashi: beautiful, bite-size confections made with ingredients ranging...